Jewish LGBT charity pulls out of Pride in London

Britain’s largest Jewish LGBT charity has pulled out of London’s Pride parade over safety concerns about pro-Palestinian protests.

Keshet UK and the West London Synagogue have said their members fear being harassed or attacked while marching from Hyde Park to Westminster on Saturday.

A coalition of pro-Palestinian groups was planning to target organisations along the route which it believed were “complicit in the ongoing genocide” in Gaza, The Telegraph can disclose.

In messages leaked from online chat groups, protesters vowed to take “spikier” action at Pride and did not rule out potentially assaulting emergency workers and blockading roads.

It is understood that around 50 activists plan to single out staff from Barclays, Axa, Hewlett Packard, McDonald’s and other companies they say support Israel’s war in Gaza.

In a “legal briefing” to its members, the protest chat group cited a list of offences they could be accused of committing – and tactics to avoid being prosecuted.

The offences include assault of an emergency worker, public nuisance, obstructing the highway, and common assault.

Protesters were told: “If you see the police speaking to someone, start chanting and encourage them to join you, make as much noise as possible.

“Do not carry anything that can be used to identify you, eg a driving licence or bank card. Do not bring your phone. Leave it at home…”

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